INTRODUCTION

We have been photographers for about 40 years and have used many types of camera bags. Most of our bags have been backpacks, except for a period in the ’90s when we both used Domke bags. The Domke F2 bag was especially great; it was Paul’s main bag during two six-week trips to Vietnam. Recently, however, since 2017 we have been using sling bags, while our camera backpacks are mostly used as transit bags when travelling. In the field, we have found sling bags to be much more practical for the photography we do nowadays.

We currently use Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L (read our review) and Peak Design Everyday Tote 15L (read our review) bags which are both shoulder/sling bags for our daily use and travel photography. Nevertheless, we are always on the lookout for a sling bag that will rival our current bags.

To effectively use these types of bags, you typically need to be a photographer who travels light and doesn’t carry much gear. However, may people don’t realise  that a 10L bag can surprisingly hold a decent amount of equipment. If you are a photographer who prefers to take along many lenses, including a 70-200mm lens, these bags may not be the best option for you.

Shoulder/Sling bags come in various sizes, typically 3L, 6L, and 10L or similar.

We recently discovered the Summit Creative range of bags, which offers a great selection of bags for all levels of photographers. These include a Roll-Top (30L, 40L, & 50L), Zip-Top (18L, 25L, 35L & 45L) backpack bags, Metropolis (22L) backpacks, Shoulder bags (4L, 7L & 10L), and Small Cases (1L, 2L, & 3L). This range covers practically all a photographer could ever want as far as sizes are concerned.

As we were more interested in a sling bag, we requested the Summit Creative Tenzing 10L Shoulder Bag to review. Pixel One in Sydney kindly sent us the bag for which we are extremely grateful. Although this bag is sold as a shoulder bag it can also be used as a sling bag (across the body) if desired. 

Disclaimer:  This review is unbiased. As ethical photographers, we would never recommend using any product unless we have used it ourselves. We always strive to give you our honest opinion to help you make the best choice. We received the product with compliments of Pixel One but were not paid for this review, however, we may receive commissions on links in this post.

BAG EXTERIOR

On first appearance, the Summit Creative Tenzing 10L Shoulder Bag seems to be more of a messenger bag than a sling, although messenger, shoulder, and sling bags can all be carried similarly (ie. across the body). The difference is that a shoulder bag and even a messenger can look a bit more boxy than a sling bag which is more designed to meld into the contours of your back. Although the Summit Creative bag is 10L, it appears much bigger than our Peak Design 10L Sling and as mentioned above, a lot more boxier.

The exterior is quite attractive and stands out in comparison to other bags we’ve reviewed. We appreciate that it can stand upright on a flat surface (without a tripod attached to the base). Although this feature may not be essential for this type of bag, it is definitely a bonus.

The exterior uses 420D Nylon material that is known for its tensile strength and water resistance, although it is not waterproof. We do not need to test the bag for water resistance as the bag is supplied with a raincover indicating the bag will not withstand a drenching. Instructions attached to the bag recommend keeping it dry to prevent deformation from long-term dampness. The bag features the gold-standard YKK zippers, known for their exceptional quality. The zippers also have thick resilient zipper-pulls for easier access and are waterproof. The buckles that connect the shoulder strap to the bag are anodised metal so these are strong and very unlikely to break.

The bag features three handles: a main handle at the top and smaller handles on each end. While it’s not immediately clear when the smaller handles might be useful, they are discreet and could come in handy in certain situations.

At the front of the bag is a large dual-zippered pocket which is quite deep and extends almost the full width. Unfortunately, there are no secondary pockets inside which is always great for accessing smaller items such as lens caps, cleaning cloths, spare camera batteries etc. that are frequently used without having to open the interior of the bag  You do get these pockets on the interior, but it’s a missed opportunity not to include them on the outside pocket. It can be frustrating in the field fishing around in a large pocket for your smaller items. Nevertheless, maybe this is something they can add in future upgrades to the bag.

One of the features that we like is at the rear of the bag. There is a large pass-through for your luggage handle. As an added bonus, the pass-through has a zipper at the bottom, so when not being used as a pass-through the bottom zipper can be closed and the cavity used as another large pocket. Great idea!

Above: The Summit Creative Tenzing 10L Shoulder Bag with the rain cover attached. Please note that the rain cover will not quite cover the pass-through pocket at the rear of the bag.

The base of the bag is quite rigid allowing the bag to sit upright as long as you do not have an attached tripod. Speaking of which – there are 4 attachment loops at the base allowing the bag to accommodate a tripod. However, we really do not understand this: the tripod attachment straps are NOT supplied with the bag! Really??? You go to all the effort of designing a bag like this and don’t include 2 straps to attach the tripod? This is a big negative for this bag. You can purchase the 2 straps separately for an extra AUD$26.99. They are listed as “Bottom Accessories Buckle Strap for Tenzing Series Bags – Set of 2”. Quite frankly, we would prefer to pay a little more and receive the straps with the bag. So, if you are a photographer who wants to attach a tripod, or at least have the option, we suggest you purchase the straps when purchasing the bag.

The bag features a loop at one end that allows you to attach a lanyard strap for added security (yet, this is included??). The other end connects to a snap on the shoulder strap. While we’re not sure we would ever use this feature, it’s available if needed. We would happily trade this lanyard strap for the two tripod attachment straps. Interestingly, the lanyard strap is not mentioned anywhere on the product page.

At the top of the bag, there are two additional loops designed for optional attachment straps to connect to other Summit Creative Camera Bags. Again, not something we would consider, but the option is there for those who want it.

BAG INTERIOR

The bag’s interior is quite simple, but it provides ample space. The large dual-zippered opening at the top extends around three sides of the bag, allowing easy access to all the gear inside. The interior features a “chlorine blue” colour in the bag’s black and orange versions.

There are 3 adjustable/removable dividers that keep your gear secure. The dividers are well-padded and attach to the interior walls using velcro. Nothing really new here. Each divider separates to give you a small shelf for smaller lenses and to protect lenses from rubbing against each other. The dividers can naturally be configured to your personal taste. To house a camera and lenses you may need to remove one divider. For our purposes, we have removed one divider to house our Sony A7Riii mirrorless camera body with an attached 24-105 f/4 lens.

The other two compartments can accommodate a variety of lens combinations. One compartment comfortably holds our Sony 70-200mm f/4 lens, while the third compartment can fit two additional lenses. Since we don’t carry the 70-200mm lens frequently, the two compartments can hold a total of four lenses, in addition to the one that is attached to the camera.

Regardless of what combination of lenses you use, if you carry 3-4 lenses most of the time then this bag will be ample for your requirements.

The bag’s interior also features a sleeve that can accommodate a laptop up to 13.3″. Naturally, if you don’t carry a laptop, this sleeve could be used for accessories. This sleeve, for us, would be particularly useful for our Lenskirt (or similar) which we always carry when travelling. It could also be used to carry a square filter holder and filters. Balls in your court!

Lastly, there are two equal-sized mesh pockets that could be used for spare batteries, an external hard drive, circular filters, cleaning cloths (although we like to keep these in an exterior pocket along with our blower brush), remote control etc.

Oh, and there is a bright orange rain cover as well (we can only assume that this is the colour of the rain cover for the orange bag as well). We would suggest this would be better stored in one of the exterior pockets so that you can access it rather than opening the bag if caught in a downpour.

DIMENSIONS

The interior dimensions are as follows: W: 36cm / 14.17in  H: 25.5cm / 10.04in D: 13cm / 5.12in

The exterior dimensions are as follows: W: 37cm / 14.57in  H: 27cm / 10.63in D: 14cm / 5.51in

The weight of the shoulder bag is 930g (2.05lbs) which is only slightly heavier than our current sling bag.

COLOURS

The Summit Creative Tenzing 10L, 7L, & 4L bags are available in either Black, Orange, or Champagne. We were sent the Black colourway for the review.

SIZES

The Summit Creative Tenzing Shoulder Bags are available in 4L, 7L, & 10L sizes. If you are a point-and-shoot photographer or a street photographer, the 4L and 7L bags may be more suitable for your needs. Just remember that these size bags will not fit a 13.3″ laptop. The 7L will only accommodate up to an 11″ tablet and the 4L will only take up to a 7.69″ tablet.

CONS

NOTE: When you receive the bag, please read the “Note” section of the attached information tag, as there are many do’s and don’ts regarding the bag. Numbers 3 & 4 have us a little concerned “Don’t expose the backpack directly to the sun or overheated, washed or chemical solvents”  and “Don’t expose the metal accessories to a humid or salty environment, or it may become oxidised”. Both of these sound a little counterproductive for a camera bag. although the second one is easy to alleviate by simply wiping down the bag after use in these types of environments. However, exposing the bag to the sun is a given in outdoor photography.

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PRICING

We are resellers of the Summit Creative range of bags in Australia, so if you are based in Australia you can click on the Contact Us button below and we will give you a better price on the product. Alternatively, you can also make your purchase at Amazon.com.au. You may have to check local stockists for purchases outside of Australia to see if they are available. Currently, only the 4L version of the Summit Creative Tenzing bag can be bought on Amazon.com but this may vary depending on your region. If you click on the Amazon.com link it should redirect you to an Amazon in your region.

THE FINAL WORD

The Summit Creative Tenzing 10L shoulder bag is a well-designed and functional bag for a great price. The exterior has plenty of pockets for all your accessories. The interior is spacious, and the large zippered opening makes it easy to access gear inside. It will hold most lens and camera combinations that most photographers use, even to the point of replacing the need for a backpack camera bag. Although the bag is not waterproof (not many bags are waterproof) the material is certainly water-repellant and should you be caught in a downpour there is a rain cover included. The only downsides, in our opinion, are the boxy structure of the bag and the absence of the two tripod straps (sold separately). 

Overall, we consider the Summit Creative Tenzing 10L shoulder bag to be a worthy contender in the shoulder/sling bag market. Is it better than our Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L bags? In some aspects it is but in others, it isn’t. The Peak Design bag is a lot more expensive which will make this bag very attractive for those on a budget. If we didn’t already own the Peak Design bag, this bag would possibly be the one that we would use.

If you have any questions or comments about this product we would love to hear from you in the comments section below.

RATED: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED